


Of Monsters and Men

by darthaline



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Animal Death, Blood Magic, Eye Trauma, Gen, Kasef Is Alive, Magic Theory, Suicidal Thoughts, Swearing, Viren Is Dead, but within this particular story it's not developed, minor gore, tagged romantic because there's tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:42:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22808032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthaline/pseuds/darthaline
Summary: After the battle Claudia is looking for closure, but instead finds a host of new problems which require creative solutions.
Relationships: Aaravos & Claudia (The Dragon Prince), Claudia & Kasef, Claudia/Kasef
Comments: 15
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> many thanks for editing and concrit to my best friend and partner [GracefulArchitect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GracefulArchitect/profile) <3

_ “There is a well known anecdote of a certain member of a royal Skywing elf family defining a human as a “magicless featherless biped”, and later being presented with a plucked chicken by High Mage Ziard of Elarion with a comment of “Behold, a human”. Besides entertainment value, it provides a warning to any scholar seeking to try and constrain an entity by its apparent qualities without examining further complexity and edge cases, but also gives us an exceptional look into the psyche of an average elf. _

_ Nevermind the fact that a variety of beings are capable of bipedal motion, you can see there is this tendency to define a human by the lack of quality, rather than anything actually defining us as a population. Similarly a human scholar could define an elf as a “pinkyless agricultureless biped”, but it would be instantly apparent that this judgement is coming from a culture which for some reason values pinkies and its bread over other things in life.” _

_ Notes on the Nature of Humankind by High Mage Malissa of Duren _

***

It took Claudia most of the day to get to the fall site. The thick blanket of clouds shrouding the mountain meant nobody actually saw where dad landed, but Claudia was a dark mage, and Xadia conveniently had plenty of magical critters to offer. She wasn’t exactly sure why she bothered, given that there was no way dad could have survived a fall like that. She didn’t have a plan - she just needed to see it for herself. For closure, she supposed.

Her climb was steep and difficult, off of the beaten path, and she preferred it that way, as it meant she could focus on the journey, rather than thinking about the destination. And, if she happened to lose her footing, that would solve many of her problems, wouldn’t it?

But somehow she did reach the site, as the guiding fireflies faded into thin air in front of her. The plateau was covered in deep frost. A misshapen figure lay amongst the sharp stones, a purple bug coiled tightly at it’s chest.

But as soon as Claudia approached, the bug lifted its head, and crawled towards her with a surprising vigor. Quickly, it rose in front of her clicking its mandibles.

“What do you want?!” Claudia said, “I’m not here for you.”

She walked past it to the figure.

As much as she tried to suppress the urge, Claudia threw up. The bile tasted disgusting on her tongue, but it felt appropriate. Dad was dead. Super duper dead. Not that she had a reason to doubt before, but seeing his broken body and blood frozen on the stones brought a finality to it. There was nothing she could do.

She sagged among the stones empty and tired.

Without an invitation the bug crawled onto her leg, then slid along her side onto her arm. The feeling was bizarre. Claudia has dealt with plenty of critters, and this one clearly had a purpose. It stopped over her hand, clicked the mandibles again, and closed them over her finger. She expected pain, but none came, as the critter lifted its head and looked at her expectantly.

“I’m not… I don’t know what dad fed you.”

The bug shook its head.

“Hmm...” Claudia said, “You can understand me?”

The bug nodded.

Sure it could have been a coincidence, but dad did talk to his little bug pal. Perhaps it wasn’t just a mindless critter…

“You want me to do something?”

A nod.

“You want me to feed you?”

A non committal headwave.

Well, Claudia was aiming for yes-no questions, but it was nice to know it was capable of more nuance.

“It has something to do with my hand?”

A nod again.

Claudia thought.

“You want me to give you my blood.”

The bug nodded.

***

Strictly speaking, blood magic was neither magic nor exclusively about blood. It really was about  _ spell anchors _ : hair, nails, blood, and semen (Claudia found it cringey but it was frustratingly common in fertility spells). Dad was not a big fan of anchors, saying that it wasn’t about research, but rather about the intent and feelings. That much was true, but Claudia found the topic fascinating. “Love among Dragons” had it wrong, there was nothing particularly dark about using blood, but it was powerful when given freely, and almost entirely useless when taken by force.

The blood from the hand often meant a contract, a promise. Claudia wondered what the bug’s agreement was with dad, but now it was too late to ask.

“What do you need it for?” she asked.

The bug thoughtfully tapped its buggy little face with the tip of its tail.

After a moment of hesitation, it crawled back up her arm, hovering on her shoulder, and clicked its mandibles near her ear.

Well, the ability to converse could be welcome.

“Hmm, yes, the charades so far have been fun, but you don’t really have much range in your body language,” Claudia mused.

The bug somehow gave her a dirty look, which was really quite impressive.

“Fine! You are very talented! Shall we continue as we are then?”

Instantly the bug shook its head energetically.

“That’s what I thought.”

She paused.

“And what if I was deaf?” Claudia asked.

The bug gave her an uncertain headwave, which was fair.

“You’re right, there’s not much point in thinking of hypotheticals right now.”

She took out a little dagger from her boot. Soren had got it for her when she turned thirteen, but she pushed that thought out of her mind.

Now the question was where, and how much. With other humans (and she supposed elves) magical contracts were mutual, but poking a bug with a knife was unlikely to yield favorable results.

Plus, she wasn’t sure how much she should trust the bug - dad seemed to, and look where it got him. She needed something practical, which would limit the critter’s influence. After a bit of consideration she poked her right pinky finger with a dagger, drawing a single drop of blood which she offered to it.

“A pinky promise,” she said.

As the bug swallowed the drop, its clicking turned into a quiet but deep chuckle.

***

_ “There is a certain squeamishness which surrounds the use of dark magic. Even as we kill other humans or elves, it’s seen as a noble pursuit to defeat your enemy with the help of a sharp stick, but squashing a bug to aim that spear makes one a pariah, even if your presence amongst other humans is tolerated due to this very same skill. Nevermind the fact that I’ve yet to see a sharp stick alone be used to mend broken flesh and bones. _

_ I believe the cultural trauma caused by humanity’s expulsion from Xadia left us entirely disconnected from our Elarion roots, forcing us to see ourselves like elves do - as lesser, rather than simply different. And it will take extraordinary circumstances and a lot of effort for human society to rediscover our worth and ingenuity for what it is, rather than what it never could be.“ _

_ Notes on the Nature of Humankind by High Mage Malissa of Duren _

***

“We could bring him back,” the bug repeated.

“That’s impossible!” Claudia said. Everyone knew that death was final, that resurrection only existed in fiction.

“But isn’t impossible,” the bug countered, “Just another kind of possible?”

“Hey, that’s my catchphrase!” she said.

The bug fell silent, but the pause was welcome.

Claudia didn’t like it at all. Dark mages had tried to bring people back; the results were horrific. There were many scrolls about why one should never attempt it. The damage death brought to the body was too much. And those were focused on simple body wounds, not skulls split apart like an overripe watermelon.

But the bug claimed that its frost spell would suppress the decay, and that it knew just the right spell. A complicated one, but still one she could pull off, especially here, in Xadia, where magic was overflowing in each plant and creature.

Claudia didn’t like it, because the bug was saying the things she wanted to hear. There was something in its voice that reminded her of the overconfident courtiers who became more and more annoying as she grew older. Those who kept leaning too close, trying to speak to her privately, promising her pretty things and rare ingredients. She didn’t like how they never listened, and how often she had to take out her dagger to get them to leave her alone, but it sure proved to be a useful gift.

However getting dad back… that was not a toy, or some pretty lace. It was a chance to fix everything, to fix her family.

“And what do you want for your help?” she asked.

“I simply wish to help him,” the bug replied, “Out of the goodness of my heart. I am great like that.” 

“Uh huh,” she said, “Sounds legit.”

The bug laughed.

“I live to serve, little mage,” it wrapped itself around her arm, “Your scepticism is commendable, but your father is important to both of us, so why shouldn’t we help each other?”

***

After she returned with a few more of Lunaris moths, they moved dad into a nearby cave. It reminded her of the way dad stumbled away from Soren, and it made her angry.

The bug however praised her resourcefulness and whispered some nonsense about how perceptions dictate our reality. The logic of it felt twisted - how was she meant to believe that her illusion was a reality, when the whole reason to cast it was father’s death? But the bug had a point, that rain or wild animals might disrupt the frost spell making successful resurrection significantly less likely.

Plus, now dad simply looked unconscious. Sickly and cold from the ice crystals forming on his skin, but whole, only a bent bloody crown tossed to the side to remind her of his actual state.

Now she was slowly making her way down the mountain in the light of a full moon. She could have waited the night and slept in the cave, but the cold, hunger, and overall urgency of her quest made it impossible for her to settle. The bug stayed behind, maintaining the spell and guarding the body.

It was now up to Claudia. If she could get everything, and if the bug wasn’t lying, then dad could live again.

There was only one problem - she needed a sacrifice. She likely hurt many elves during the battle using her staff, but getting one for a spell was different - she needed them alive, and she needed them close to where dad was. Even if she could capture one, she’d need to get them up there into the cave somehow.

Ultimately, it wouldn’t be very different to slaying a doe she thought. In some sense it would even be better - where a doe was an innocent creature, the elves were enemies, and skilled ones at that. They killed King Harrow and other royals, and they lied and manipulated Callum, Ezran, General Amaya, and even Soren into taking their side. They had stolen everything from her: her father, her brother, and her country - it felt hopeless to even try to oppose them. It would only be fair if she could get her dad back.


	2. Chapter 2

_ “A social species such as humans or elves, by the virtue of caring for more than just self and their offspring, must develop criteria for in- and out-groups, allowing us to discriminate to whom do we trust and extend our hospitality. For elves (and dragons, for that matter) the key to belonging is the connection to an arcanum. Humans, having no such thing, are obvious out-groups. The relic Xadian parchments preserved from the Great Expulsion suggest that previously the criterium was more commonly referred to as ‘having magic’. But the development of dark magic made it apparent that behind the prejudice was not the lack of magic itself, but the mere idea of not having an inborn ability for it. _

_ A student once asked me, what the criterium is for us humans, and I have been mulling on it since. I feel like what defines us is the ability for communication. The elves and the dragons are capable of communication as well, but that is the key to the problem - if you are already seen as lesser, then there’s little reason to talk to you. Now what worries me, is that it’s entirely possible that our own ability to perceive communication is limited, and the world is trying to speak with us in many voices we can’t hear, because we already judged it to be not worth our attention.” _

_ Notes on the Nature of Humankind by High Mage Malissa of Duren _

***

The beast stirred in its cave, broken and hurting. It managed to scare the previous owner of the cave away, but the blood loss and pain left it exhausted, and surely soon the new inhabitant would fall prey itself.

The hunger had been gnawing at the beast’s stomach as well. Earlier yesterday, it somehow caught and tore into a bird, it’s teeth sinking into tender flesh and pinprick bones. It was barely enough to stave the cravings off, but now the hunger was back, and everything with an ounce of self preservation stayed far away from the dying beast’s lair.

In the early hours of the morning, just as the first rays of the sun started leaking past the entrance, there was a sound. It was very quiet and distant, but still distinct, despite the beast’s delirium. Something was approaching the cave, and that meant an opportunity.

Desperately the beast crawled out of its corner, cowered at the mouth of the cave and waited. The sound, that of steps, and that of something else, heavier, was approaching.

When the steps came close, the beast could sense the smell, strangely familiar, and tantalizingly sweet. An uncertainty rose in the beast’s mind, but it’s stomach was louder, and the beast pounced.

***

“Fuck!”

Claudia fell and rolled down the sharp stones, as she barely dodged the attack. She got lucky, slipping on the stones in her tired descent, as otherwise the beasts sharp claws would have surely torn her to shreds already.

She quickly turned towards it, preparing her staff as well as she could in her compromised position and froze, half a spell sizzling out from her staff.

That was no beast. It was Prince Kasef.

[ ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ERLUh5VWAAARwwT?format=png&name=4096x4096)

***

The hunger and the hunt boomed in the beast’s head, dulling the pain and urging it forward, but something was off. It roared and jumped.

The fire slammed into its chest, pushing it back onto the stones, its nostrils filling up with the smell of burning fur. And yet, somehow, the beast felt stronger, its veins swelling with golden warmth. It rose ready to surge back forward, but the prey screamed, and the beast remembered.

***

“Kasef, stop!” Claudia yelled.

Some flicker of recognition showed in Kasef’s face. He stood, inhaling deeply, one wild orange eye glowing in the morning twilight.

The prince looked a mess. What remained of his intricate Neolandian clothing was dirty and scorched after Claudia’s fireball. His chest and right hand were encrusted in dried blood, and, worst of all, a broken off piece of an arrow was sticking out of his right eye.

After dad’s spell the soldiers had changed. As much as Claudia didn’t like to admit it, she wouldn’t want to see Soren like that. Their silence and single minded determination creeped her out, but despite the changes they still stayed recognisably themselves. Friends and lovers marched together, helping and protecting each other. Really, Kasef was the only one who ran off during the initial attack, leaving himself wide open and vulnerable to counter attack.

Claudia weighed her options. Kasef clearly wasn’t himself right now, most likely because of his trauma, but she could try and help. And having Kasef on her side… Well, at least, she wouldn’t be alone.

She lowered her staff. If he chose to attack her again she still could strike, but at least this way she appeared less threatening.

“Kasef, it’s me, Claudia,” she said calmly, “Do you remember me?”

Kasef tilted his head. The sound of his name seemed to awaken something in him.

“Kasef, I’m going to slowly come closer and try to help you, do you understand?”

He didn’t reply, but neither did he attack or flee as she stepped forward.

Claudia slowly made her way across the stones towards him. Her butt felt sore after the fall, but otherwise she was lucky that she didn’t break anything.

She stopped several feet away.

“Kasef, I’m going to reach into my bag,” she said, as she slowly lowered her hand towards her satchel, “And I’m going to take out the medicine, to help you. Kasef.”

He gave her a dull look, but didn’t protest.

She slowly put her hand into the bag.

A screamdrake root, a griffin feather, and, ah yes, there it was, a small concealed pouch.

Kasef growled.

“It’s okay, I’m just looking for the right thing! I don’t want to hurt you!”

She pulled at the intricate knot and opened the pouch.

She grabbed a dash of mirthflower pollen and in a swift motion threw it into Kasef’s face. He roared, rubbing at his eye, before making a few staggering steps towards her and collapsing at her feet, just as intended.

[](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ERLUgmbWoAAMXcK?format=jpg&name=4096x4096)

***

_ “The curious thing is, that humans are sometimes born without the ability to hear, or to speak, but that doesn’t stop us from seeing these children as human, as part of our families and communities. There is a village in Del Bar mountains where the majority of folk speak sign language. Katolis military has many notable deaf officers, as it includes the courses for sign language as part of it’s training for the Breach forces. _

_ We do not have much information with respect to elven customs, but whenever one of my deaf students comes to be the top of her class, I wonder. If an elven child was ever born without an apparent connection to the arcanum, what would become of them.” _

_ Notes on the Nature of Humankind by High Mage Malissa of Duren _

_ *** _

Claudia had to improvise. The stony mountain landscape was sparse, but it was still richer than what you normally found across the Breach. There were still enough useful plants and crawlies to make a makeshift magical binding. Those wouldn’t hold for long, not like enchanted snake chains anyway, but she didn’t need long, she simply needed some time to sort out Kasef’s wounds.

Claudia really didn’t mean to hurt him. However, she couldn’t think of anything better to do with him, as in his current condition he was behaving more like an animal than a person. She wondered if Prince Ezran could have talked him down, much like he did with the banther, but unfortunately she was by herself, so she had to rely on an old fashioned sleeping dust.

She looked Prince Kasef over. He didn’t have any scars from her spell, which made sense in retrospect - dad did say that the soldiers would be immune to the dragon fire, much more so to her simple fireball.

She was surprised to find that his hand and chest wounds whilst covered in dried blood looked well on their way to healing. But the eye… that was difficult. Simply pulling the arrow out would do more harm than good. But leaving it in wasn’t an option either, as it could lead to infection and cause more trauma down the line.

She rummaged in her bag. What was it the bug said, again? Our perceptions dictate our image of reality?

She took out her last remaining Lunaris moth. Freed from the suspension box, it wiggled its branching antennae at her as if in confusion. It was cute and gentle, and so very very useful. She held it and squeezed its delicate wings and plump little body in her hand until it burst. She then hovered her hand over the broken arrow and thought hard.

What she needed to focus on was not Kasef, but rather the broken shaft. It felt almost like one of those games she saw people play in the streets, where a host would shuffle a ball between the cups, and then con the naive passerbys into thinking they missed the trick. Only this time she was the con artist, duping the world into believing that the arrow was still inside the Kasef’s skull. In a barely noticeable shift, a magical sleight of hand, the world tilted just a little bit. She held the broken arrow shaft in her hand.

She sagged, tension bleeding out of her tired form, as wetness ran down her cheeks. That was step one.

***

After she fixed up Kasef’s wounds and nibbled on a few xadian strawberries (which were a lot sweeter and bigger than their across border counterpart), Claudia finally felt the last couple of days catching up with her. She ended up throwing a dash more sleeping dust at Kasef’s face and sagged onto a makeshift bed she had made out of a thin layer of grass in the cave. It wasn’t ideal, but she didn’t want to be caught off guard by Kasef’s sudden awakening.

Still, despite her precaution she awoke to low grumbling, as the crimson sun was slowly sliding down towards the horizon. She rose and came closer to the prince.

“Werrrrrrrr,” he growled through his teeth.

“Oh, can you talk?”

He paused, thinking.

“Wherrrr,” he said finally.

“Ah, damn. I just thought you may have said ‘where’,” Claudia said, disappointed.

“Wherrrr?” he tried again.

“Hmm, well, in case you are asking that, we are in Xadia. You’ve been hurt pretty badly. I patched you up.”

Kasef bared his teeth and pulled against her makeshift bounds. She was lucky that Xadia had potent components that lasted this long.

“I know!” Claudia said, raising her hand, “I’m sorry. You were about to attack me, and the medical spells are not easy, okay!? I had to knock you out.”

Kasef turned his head away from her.

“Look,” she said. “You had an arrow in your eye, I took it out.”

Kasef made a jerking motion as if trying to turn his head towards it, but finally froze, his eye turning towards his nose.

“Sorry, I don’t have any mirrors,” Claudia said, “It’s not pretty, but I used some healing magic, so you hopefully shouldn’t develop any brain rot or anything.” 

She then showed him the broken arrow she had in her bag. Claudia tried not to think about her hand touching the shaft which just a few hours ago was in contact with Kasef’s brain matter.

“I’m not sure I can quite fix your eye,” she said. “At least, not yet. I might know someone who could teach me.”

Kasef frowned, but stayed silent.

“Point is, I don’t know about you, but to me you seem way more lucid now than when you were before.”

Kasef rolled his eye, winced, and then made a face at her.

“Yup, definitely better.”

She sat down in front of him.

“Look. It’s been… a couple of days. Last time I saw you I thought you were dead, but clearly you somehow got better, even with all those wounds. We lost. Dad is...” she paused. “Dad is sick.”

Kasef’s frown deepened.

“Sure you could try to head towards the brand new joint elf-human army, but after Queen Aanya quite literally shot you in a face, I doubt that’s gonna go well.”

Kasef bared his teeth, growling quietly, but that was clearly directed not at her.

“Now, do you think I can trust you not to attack me once you’re out of those bounds?”

Kasef sat quietly for a bit, but finally, very slowly, he gave her a curt nod.


	3. Chapter 3

_ “There are few of us, dark mages, as the magical creatures and items are rare this side of the Breach, and some places condemn dark magic as a practice which caused the Great Expulsion. Yet a lot of the time it’s us dark mages who are tasked with putting out literal and metaphorical fires and keeping others safe. Perhaps, if Dark Mage Ziard was not there to sacrifice himself, preventing the destruction of Elarion, Xadians might not have deemed us dangerous enough. The Great Expulsion was a traumatic event for humankind, leaving many loved ones dead, and many families shattered, but I’m sure so would have dragon fire.“ _

_ Notes on the Nature of Humankind by High Mage Malissa of Duren _

_ *** _

Neither of them felt like sleeping after their impromptu day nap, and so they stayed up. Claudia tried to sort her bag, but the needed focus eluded her, and despite herself she kept glancing at the prince.

Kasef, still somewhat woozy after the mirthflower powder, sat in the corner of the cave. Even now, after she removed the arrow, it was too early to say if he would be alright.

Eventually, she stood up and came closer, just as the sun had almost set.

She stretched her hand towards him.

“Would you like some?”

Claudia had saved a few strawberries this morning. It wasn’t much, but at least she had eaten something, whilst Kasef had spent the whole day knocked out.

Kasef looked at her with confusion, but reluctantly accepted the offering.

There was no guarantee that he would get better, but the fact that he could at least respond to Claudia was a good sign, and that made her… not quite happy, but she did feel powerful, like she could make things right.

***

The next day, Claudia went exploring. She didn’t have a solid plan yet, but it was a good start to begining figuring out their next steps.

Despite her trying to make him rest and heal, Kasef insisted on following her around, which annoyed Claudia a bit, but she couldn’t blame him either, not after he seemed so lost and feral before on his own. Perhaps that was the wound, but could also be dad’s spell, and she had no way to test it.

As they slowly moved forward, Claudia spotted one of those winged elves near the mountain. Annoyingly those would be hard to catch, and she still had no idea if Kasef would agree to help her.

It was too dangerous to stay in the abandoned human camp, but they’d come to scavenge what they could. Claudia picked up a few dried rations and tools, but then they ended up staying longer, as it turned out that despite his injuries Kasef could carry plenty and with ease, so Claudia had to figure out what else would be useful to grab.

Around midday, as she was rummaging through blankets and pots she noticed him frozen in the middle of the camp, staring straight at the sun.

“Kasef,” she called, and then louder, “Kasef!”

Despite her pokes and nudges he paid her zero attention. Soren was strong, but trying to get through to Kasef was like trying to move a mountain. His skin was dense and hot to the touch and… were the cracks now brighter than before?

Well, he was staring at the sun, and the dragon fire did make the soldiers stronger; could it be that the sun during its zenith did as well?

She pulled a blanket from her stack and covered him, and after a moment Kasef jerked and bared his teeth at her, but then shook his head and blinked at her in confusion. He was disoriented, like before, but at least he seemed to recognize her, which was a good sign.

“Keep the blanket on, the midday sun seems to be messing with your head.”

***

Over the next couple of hours Kasef had a few relapses, but luckily those were short-lived. And ultimately, the combination of the blanket and staying in the shade made it mostly manageable.

On the way back, she started telling him about her quest, about trying to ‘heal’ dad. Heal. She tried hard to focus on getting rid of the quotes. After doing the sleight of hand arrow trick she seemed to understand better what the bug meant. And everything would be for nothing if the spell failed because she accidentally disrupted her belief.

It felt nice to be able to talk about all this with someone. Sure, she talked to dad’s bug pal, but that hardly counted as human company. And, Kasef, well, he’d been mostly quiet, or grumbling at her unintelligently, but there was sympathy, and having Kasef around was, well, helpful. The heap of blankets and pots he was carrying would have taken her many more trips to grab.

They took turns being on lookout during the night.

Early in the morning Kasef woke her up by shaking her shoulder lightly. Or tried to anyway. The touch was very firm, but also very, very warm. The morning was chilly with the fog falling on the hills, and sleepily Claudia was tempted to lean into the touch.

However the prince had other plans, as he was waving his arm at the cave exit.

Claudia frowned in confusion.

After a bunch of hand waving and frustrated growling he went out.

“Wait!” she got up and followed, “Where are you going?”

Kasef waved his arms some more, and walked further.

Claudia sprinted after him and grabbed him by his arm.

“You can’t leave!” Claudia shouted. “You’ll get hurt more, or the sun will distract you again!”

He shook his head, and continued walking.

“Kasef, I don’t want you to LEAVE!”

He paused and looked at her.

Claudia felt the tears running down her face, and wiped them on her sleeve.

“You CAN’T leave me!”

Kasef tilted his head in thought, and then came back to her. He put an arm on her shoulder and made her look up.

He slowly shook his head at her.

Claudia took a shaky breath.

He paused, looked her over, and then pulled her in for a hug.

The hug was awkward, and not very comfortable, but despite herself Claudia felt herself relaxing in the almost overwhelming warmth.

After a moment he stepped away. He gave her a long serious look, and then turned and walked away.

***

_ “Amongst the scholars of magic there is discord. Some believe dark magic to leave a corruption on a mages body, but others see it rather as an honor, akin to a scar a soldier might get during their service. I was lucky to be given a chance to learn dark magic later in life. A lot of my peers wore their white hair as a sign of being a dark magic prodigy, so I didn’t stand out much, despite my gray hair being there for a very different reason. _

_ It was comforting to me, when an aging body of an ‘old hag’ was suddenly mistaken for a mastery of magic, but it makes me think that perhaps the unease around dark magic and aging is of the same root. The changes in ourselves force us to wonder, if the person in the mirror is still us.” _

_ Notes on the Nature of Humankind by High Mage Malissa of Duren _

***

As much as she tried to focus, to think about finding some food, or the ingredients she needed for the bug’s spell, Claudia’s mind kept wandering to the morning exchange, and a few times she had to sit down and cry, unable to stop herself.

Finally, in the evening Kasef came back. His hands were dirty and covered in blood, but on his back was a deer. He dropped it on the floor next to her and sagged down against the stones.

“So you’ve been hunting,” Claudia asked.

He nodded.

“You didn’t take any weapons.”

He raised his arm, showing off his razor sharp claws and shrugged.

“Where did you even go?”

He waved his right hand a bit, and then slid his right fist to the side.

Claudia blinked.

“Do this again, but slower?”

He repeated the gesture, confused.

“So, you know sign?”

He waved his hand a bit, left to right.

“Then why didn’t you say anything before?!” 

Kasef shrugged and then pointed at her.

“I… don’t remember much,” Claudia said. ”Mom was an interpreter, but dad and her broke up when I was nine.”

Mom used to be friends with Queen Sarai and General Amaya, and was meant to teach King Harrow. Growing up Claudia learned some basics too, but after mom left she didn’t continue, because dad stopped using it, and she always sensed his disapproval when he saw her practicing with Callum, even if he didn’t say anything to her about it.

She sent Kasef to clean himself up and set up the fire. A deer was too much for the two of them, and they had no way to store the leftovers. She felt annoyed at herself for not asking the bug about his frost spell, but now it was too late.

Kasef came back, and the two of them tried to figure out the best way to cook it. The result ended up slightly charred, but even so, after a few days on just berries it felt like a feast.

Soon, as dusk neared she had to put the fire out - it was too dangerous to keep it thisclose to the mountain. They sat close together, near the still warm ashes in the growing darkness.

As the stars began appearing she tried to learn and guess what Kasef was saying. Much as she expected, she was pretty rusty, but there were also some differences between Del Bar and Neolandian sign language, as far as she could tell. Del Bar’s dialect relied more on the facial expressions, where Neolandian seemed to be pretty stoic. Claudia wondered if that was why she was misinterpreting Kasefs hand waving earlier.

On the flip side, Kasef’s vocabulary wasn’t that great either, as it mostly related to fighting and scouting. Which, upon consideration, made sense. High Mage Malissa did write about sign being commonly used in the military, and it would make sense for a prince to have that kind of training, right? That’s the kind of stuff Soren was trying to teach Callum after all.

Thinking about her brother made Claudia sad. It should have been the two of them together. Maybe, if he didn’t leave her, they could have won. By all means it should have been Soren and not Kasef, getting that sun boost that dad did. But then again, she supposed, overall, Kasef wasn’t the worst person to get stuck with.

She looked Kasef over and thought. The spell and the wound sure did a number on him.

Claudia took out her little knife and cut a strip from her dress.

“For an eyepatch,” she replied to his confused look.

She came close and put it over his head, tying it carefully. Now the prince kind of looked like a pirate. A shiny cracked pirate with huge claws and an impressive mane of hair, but a pirate nonetheless

Not being able to just talk sucked, it definitely wouldn’t have worked with Soren’s plan to become a poet, if he chose to actually pursue it, but many people did live like that. Heck, General Amaya was deaf, and yet often she would be the one person in the room everyone listened to.

But Kasef knowing sign language, that was a breakthrough.

Claudia didn’t need Soren in her corner, she could think for herself, thank you very much. But having someone she could talk to, and plan with, especially when that someone could hunt with his bare hands wasn’t that terrible either.


End file.
